Lid opening and closing device for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A lid opening and closing device for a vehicle includes a restriction member that is operable between a restriction position at which the restriction is applied and a restriction release position at which the restriction is released, an electric motor that drives the restriction member between the restriction position and the restriction release position in response to a door switching between a locked state and an unlocked state, a case that houses the restriction member and the electric motor, and an emergency operation member that can move the restriction member to the restriction release position when the electric motor malfunctions, wherein an operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism is provided between the emergency operation member and the restriction member, the operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism converting the operating force from the emergency operation member into a force that causes operation from the restriction position toward the restriction release position.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lid opening and closing device for avehicle that includes a rod that can move forward and backward between apushed-in position, in response to an openable and closable lid beingpushed in, and a protruding position when the lid is in an open state.When the rod is in the pushed-in position, the lid attains a lid closedposition at which the rod returns from the pushed-in position toward theprotruding position side only by a predetermined amount of movement whenthe lid is in a closed state. The device also includes a restrictionmember that is capable of operating in a direction orthogonal to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod, between arestriction position at which movement of the rod at the lid closedposition is restricted, and a restriction release position at which therestriction is released. The device also includes an electric motor thatdrives the restriction member between the restriction position and therestriction release position in response to a door switching between alocked state and an unlocked state. The device further includes a casethat houses the restriction member and the electric motor, and anemergency operation member, that can move the restriction member to therestriction release position when the electric motor malfunctions.

BACKGROUND ART

A lid opening and closing device for a vehicle in which a restrictionmember restricting a rod in a state in which a door is in a closed stateis driven by an electric motor, and when the electric motormalfunctions, an emergency operation member is operated in a directionorthogonal to the direction of travel of the rod by pulling a cable isalready known from Patent Document 1.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2016-223150

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

A lid opening and closing device is assembled on a vehicle body so thatthe direction of forward and backward movement of a rod follows thevehicle width direction, but in the arrangement disclosed in PatentDocument 1 if assembly of the lid opening and closing device, whichincludes the emergency operation member having for example a cablelinked thereto, on a vehicle body is attempted from the outside of thevehicle body, since the cable extends in a direction (vehiclefore-and-aft direction or vertical direction) orthogonal to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod (vehicle widthdirection), it becomes difficult to insert the lid opening and closingdevice into an insertion hole formed in the vehicle body in order toassemble the lid opening and closing device, and the ease of assemblybecomes poor. If the opening area of the insertion hole is increased,although the ease of assembly is improved, it is not desirable from theviewpoint of vehicle body strength and water resistance.

The present invention has been accomplished in light of suchcircumstances, and it is an object thereof to provide a lid opening andclosing device for a vehicle that can enhance the ease of assemblywithout widening an insertion hole provided in a vehicle body, by makingthe direction of operation of an emergency operation member parallel tothe direction of forward and backward movement of a rod.

Means for Solving the Problems

In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of thepresent invention, there is provided a lid opening and closing devicefor a vehicle, comprising a rod that can move forward and backwardbetween a pushed-in position in response to an openable and closable lidbeing pushed in and a protruding position when the lid is in an openstate and that attains a lid closed position at which the rod returnsfrom the pushed-in position toward the protruding position side only bya predetermined amount of movement when the lid is in a closed state, arestriction member that is capable of operating in a directionorthogonal to the direction of forward and backward movement of the rodbetween a restriction position at which movement of the rod at the lidclosed position is restricted and a restriction release position atwhich the restriction is released, an electric motor that drives therestriction member between the restriction position and the restrictionrelease position in response to a door switching between a locked stateand an unlocked state, a case that houses the restriction member and theelectric motor, and an emergency operation member that can move therestriction member to the restriction release position when the electricmotor malfunctions, characterized in that an operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism is provided between the emergencyoperation member and the restriction member, the operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism converting the operating force from theemergency operation member moving in a direction parallel to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod into a force thatcauses operation from the restriction position toward the restrictionrelease position.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, inaddition to the first aspect, the operating force-acting directionconversion mechanism is formed from a projection that is integrally andprojectingly provided on the restriction member, and a cam part that isformed on the emergency operation member in an inclined manner so as toobliquely intersect a direction of operation of the restriction memberand that abuts against the projection.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to thefirst or second aspect, a guide hole is provided in the emergencyoperation member so as to extend lengthwise in a direction of movementthereof, and a guide projection is projectingly provided on the case,the guide projection guiding movement of the emergency operation memberand projecting into the guide hole so as to restrict an end of movementof the emergency operation member.

Moreover, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, inaddition to the first aspect, the operating force-acting directionconversion mechanism is formed from a pressure-receiving projection thatis integrally and projectingly provided on the restriction member, afirst link member that pivots in response to operation of the emergencyoperation member, and a second link member that has an extremity partthereof abutting against the pressure-receiving projection from therestriction position side and pivots so as to press the restrictionmember toward the restriction release position in response to pivotingof the first link member.

Effects of the Invention

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, when theemergency operation member is operated in a direction parallel to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod, the restrictionmember is operated from the restriction position toward the restrictionrelease position in a direction orthogonal to the direction of forwardand backward movement of the rod by the action of the operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism, and due to the direction ofoperation of the emergency operation member being made parallel to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod it is possible toenhance the ease of assembly without widening an insertion openingprovided in the vehicle body.

Furthermore, in accordance with the second aspect of the presentinvention, since the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism is formed from the projection integrally and projectinglyprovided on the restriction member and the cam part formed on theemergency operation member and abutting against the projection, it ispossible to form the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism as a simple and small structure while avoiding any increase inthe number of components by eliminating the necessity for the use of alink mechanism, etc., thus enabling a small size to be achieved for thelid opening and closing device.

In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, it ispossible to guide movement of the emergency operation member andrestrict the end of movement of the emergency operation member with asimple arrangement in which the guide projection projectingly providedon the case projects into the guide hole provided in the emergencyoperation member.

Moreover, in accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention,since the operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism isformed from the pressure-receiving projection integrally andprojectingly provided on the restriction member and from the linkmechanism formed from the first and second link members, it is possibleto simply form the operating force-acting direction conversion mechanismfrom the link mechanism having a minimum number of components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment in which avehicle body exterior plate is cut away and showing a state in which alid opening and closing device is mounted. (first embodiment)

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lid opening and the closing device from thedirection of arrow 2 in FIG. 1 when a rod is at a lid closed position.(first embodiment)

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 when a door is in alocked state. (first embodiment)

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 3 , in a state inwhich an electric motor and a restriction member are removed. (firstembodiment)

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 in FIG. 3 . (first embodiment)

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 in FIG. 3 . (first embodiment)

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining change of position of a pin within anaxial position-restricting groove. (first embodiment)

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 3 , of the lid openingand the closing device in a state in which the rod is at a pushed-inposition. (first embodiment)

FIG. 9 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 3 , of the lid openingand the closing device in a state in which the rod is at a protrudingposition. (first embodiment)

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along line 10-10 in FIG. 9 . (firstembodiment)

FIG. 11 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 10 , when the doorattains a locked state in a state in which the rod is at the protrudingposition. (first embodiment)

FIG. 12 is a view in the direction of arrow 12 in FIG. 5 . (firstembodiment)

FIG. 13 is a diagram, corresponding to FIG. 12 , in a state in which anemergency operation member is operated. (first embodiment)

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, corresponding to FIG. 1 , of a secondembodiment. (second embodiment)

FIG. 15 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 12 , when an emergencyoperation member is in a non-operated state. (second embodiment)

FIG. 16 is a sectional view along line 16-16 in FIG. 15 . (secondembodiment)

FIG. 17 is an exploded sectional view of part of an operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism (second embodiment)

FIG. 18 is a sectional view along line 18-18 in FIG. 17 . (secondembodiment)

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a part shown by arrow 19 in FIG. 15 whenthe emergency operation member is in the non-operated state. (secondembodiment)

FIG. 20 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 19 , when the emergencyoperation member is operated. (second embodiment)

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS

-   -   17 Lid    -   21 Rod    -   22, 92 Case    -   28, 94 Restriction member    -   29 Electric motor    -   76 Emergency operation member    -   82 Projection    -   84, 103 Operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism    -   85 Cam part    -   87 Guide slot    -   88 Guide projection    -   104 Pressure-receiving projection    -   105 First link member    -   106 Second link member

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are explained by reference to theattached drawings.

First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention is explained by reference toFIG. 1 to FIG. 13 ; first, in FIG. 1 , a recess part 16 is formed in avehicle body exterior plate 15 of a vehicle, a fuel supply part, whichis not illustrated, facing the recess part 16, and a base end part of alid 17 is pivotably supported on the vehicle body exterior plate 15, thelid 17 openably and closably closing the recess part 16. A latching part18 is provided on an inner face on a free end side of the lid 17, and acase 22 of a lid opening and closing device 20 is mounted on a bottomwall 16 a of the recess part 16, the lid opening and closing device 20having a rod 21 having provided on its extremity part an engagementportion 21 a that detachably engages with the latching part 18.

Referring in addition to FIG. 2 to FIG. 6 , the case 22 is formed from acase main body 23 formed into a rectangular box shape and a cover 24joined to the case main body 23 so as to close an open end of the casemain body 23.

The case main body 23 integrally has an upper side wall 23 a and lowerside wall 23 b extending in the vehicle width direction with a gaptherebetween in the vertical direction, an outer side wall 23 cextending in the vertical direction while joining end parts on the outerside in the vehicle width direction of the upper and lower side walls 23a and 23 b, an inner side wall 23 d extending in the vertical directionwhile joining end parts on the inner side in the vehicle width directionof the upper and lower side walls 23 a and 23 b, and a flat plate-shapedend wall 23 e connectedly provided in common on end parts on one side inthe vehicle fore-and-aft direction of the upper side wall 23 a, thelower side wall 23 b, the outer side wall 23 c and the inner side wall23 d. The cover 24 is joined to the case main body 23 from the otherside in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction so as to oppose the end wall23 e.

A rectangular insertion hole 25 (see FIG. 1 ) is formed in the bottomwall 16 a of the recess part 16, and the case 22 is inserted into theinsertion hole 25 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction.Moreover, a rectangular collar portion 23 f is integrally andconnectedly provided with the outer side wall 23 c of the case main body23 so as to protrude outward from the outer periphery thereof, and thecase 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 25 from the outer side inthe vehicle width direction so that a rectangular inner seal member 26surrounding an end part, on the collar portion 23 f side, of the case 22is disposed between the collar portion 23 f and an outer face of thebottom wall 16 a at the peripheral edge of the insertion hole 25. A baseend part of an elastic claw 27 is connectedly provided on the upper sidewall 23 a and the lower side wall 23 b of the case main body 23, theelastic claw 27 passing through the insertion hole 25 due to it flexingwhen the case 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 25, and anextremity part of the elastic claw 27 abutting against an inner face ofthe bottom wall 16 a. That is, the inner seal member 26 and the bottomwall 16 a are held between the collar portion 23 f and the elastic claw27, thereby mounting the case 22 on the bottom wall 16 a.

The lid opening and closing device 20 includes the rod 21, a restrictionmember 28 that can restrict movement of the rod 21, and an electricmotor 29 that drives the restriction member 28. The restriction member28 and the electric motor 29 are housed within the case 22.

The rod 21 is disposed so as to extend in the vehicle width direction inan upper part of the case 22 and is movably supported on the case mainbody 23 of the case 22. A support rib 31 extends in the longitudinaldirection of the rod 21 and is integrally and projectingly provided onan inner face of the end wall 23 e of the case main body 23, the supportrib 31 having on the protruding end a sliding contact support face 30that is recessed into an arc shape so as to be in sliding contact withpart of an outer peripheral face of the rod 21, which has a circularcross section. A through hole 32 is formed in an upper part of the outerside wall 23 c of the case main body 23, the rod 21 being axiallymovably inserted through the through hole 32, a short cylindricalportion 23 g protruding from the outer side wall 23 c toward the recesspart 16 side so as to form part of the through hole 32 is integrally andprojectingly provided on the upper part of outer side wall 23 c, and anannular outer seal member 33 is fitted onto the short cylindricalportion 23 g, the outer seal member 33 being in resilient slidingcontact with the outer periphery of the rod 21.

A holder 35 is fitted onto the rod 21 within the case 22. The holder 35is formed so as to have a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shapethat opens on the end wall 23 e side, and an engagement collar 35 a isformed integrally with the holder 35, the engagement collar 35 a beingengaged with an annular groove 36 formed in the outer periphery of therod 21. The holder 35 is thereby fitted onto the rod 21 so that it canpivot relative thereto within a limited range around the axis of the rod21 while being unable to move relative to the rod 21 in the axialdirection.

A ring-shaped spring housing recess part 37 is formed in the rod 21 at alocation close to the inner side wall 23 d of the case main body 23 soas to be coaxial with the axis of the rod 21 and open on the outer sidewall 23 c side, and a coil spring 38 partially housed within the springhousing recess part 37 is provided between the rod 21 and the outer sidewall 23 c.

The rod 21 is urged, by the resilient force of the coil spring 38, in adirection in which the engagement portion 21 a on its extremity partprotrudes from the vehicle body exterior plate 15, and in order torestrict the axial position of the rod 21 an axial position-restrictinggroove 40 shown in FIG. 7 is formed in an outer face of the holder 35 onthe side opposite to the upper side wall 23 a of the case main body 23,a pin 41 being inserted into the axial position-restricting groove 40.

An arm plate 42 formed from a plate spring is disposed between theholder 35 and the electric motor 29 so as to extend lengthwise in thelongitudinal direction of the rod 21, a shaft 43 inserted into a baseend part of the arm plate 42 is held between the case main body 23 andthe cover 24, and the arm plate 42 is supported on the shaft 43 so thatit can pivot within a permitted range within the case 22.

The pin 41 is fixed close to the free end part of the arm plate 42, anda projecting part 44 is projectingly provided on the case main body 23,the projecting part 44 abutting against a location close to the base endpart of the arm plate 42 from the side opposite to the rod 21. The armplate 42 thereby exhibits a resilient force that urges the pin 41 towardthe holder 35 side.

The rod 21 is capable of moving forward and backward between a pushed-inposition in which it is pushed in against the resilient force of thecoil spring 38 as shown in FIG. 8 in response to the lid 17 in a closedstate and an open state being pushed in, and a protruding position inwhich it is made to protrude greatly from the case 22 by means of theresilient force of the coil spring 38 as shown in FIG. 9 when the lid 17is in the open state and, moreover, when the lid 17 is in the closedstate the rod 21 attains, as shown in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 and FIG.6 , a lid closed position in which it returns from the pushed-inposition toward the protruding position side only by a predeterminedamount of movement.

A round bar-shaped stopper 21 b is coaxially, integrally andprojectingly provided on the rod 21 in an end part on the inner sidewall 23 d of the case main body 23, and when as shown in FIG. 8 the rod21 is in the pushed-in position the stopper 21 b, abuts against theinner side wall 23 d of the case main body 23 and restricts the movementend of the rod 21 in the pushing-in direction. The holder 35 functionsto restrict the protruding position of the rod 21, and the holder 35 ismounted on the rod 21 so that in a state in which the rod 21 is in theprotruding position, as shown in FIG. 9 the holder 35 abuts against theouter side wall 23 c of the case main body 23 and restricts the movementend of the rod 21 in the protrusion direction.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the axial position-restricting groove 40 is formedso as to have a pin-receiving portion 40 a that is made to abut againstthe pin 41 in a direction along an urging direction shown by arrow 45while preventing the rod 21 from moving to the protruding position byreceiving, with the pin 41, the holder 35 urged in the urging directiontogether with the rod 21 by means of the coil spring 38 when the rod 21is in the lid closed position, first and second pushed-inposition-receiving portions 40 b and 40 c that receive the pin 41 whenthe rod 21 and the holder 35 are in the pushed-in position, and aprotruding position-receiving portion 40 d that receives the pin 41 whenthe rod 21 and the holder 35 are in the protruding position.

When the lid 17 in the closed position is pushed in, the pin 41 isdisplaced as shown by an arrow 46 from the pin-receiving portion 40 a tothe first pushed-in position-receiving portion 40 b by means of movementof the rod 21 and the holder 35 to the pushed-in position, and when therod 21 and the holder 35 are moved to the protruding position due torelease of a force pushing in the lid 17 the pin 41 is displaced asshown by an arrow 47 from the first pushed-in position-receiving portion40 b to the protruding position-receiving portion 40 d. When the rod 21is pushed in together with the lid 17 in a state in which the lid 17 isin the open position, the pin 41 is displaced as shown by an arrow 48 tothe second pushed-in position-receiving portion 40 c due to movement ofthe rod 21 and the holder 35 to the pushed-in position, and when the rod21 and the holder 35 are moved to the lid closed position due to releaseof a force pushing in the lid 17, the pin 41 is displaced as shown by anarrow 49 from the second pushed-in position-receiving portion 40 c tothe pin-receiving portion 40 a, and abuts against the pin-receivingportion 40 a.

Formed in the axial position-restricting groove 40 are a first step part50 that prevents reverse displacement of the pin 41 from thepin-receiving portion 40 a to the second pushed-in position-receivingportion 40 c, a second step part 51 that prevents reverse displacementof the pin 41 from the first pushed-in position-receiving portion 40 bto the pin-receiving portion 40 a, a third step part 52 that preventsreverse displacement of the pin 41 from the protrudingposition-receiving portion 40 d to the first pushed-inposition-receiving portion 40 b, and a fourth step part 53 that preventsreverse displacement of the pin 41 from the second pushed-inposition-receiving portion 40 c to the protruding position-receivingportion 40 d.

The engagement portion 21 a in the extremity part of the rod 21 has asubstantially T-shaped form; in a state in which the lid 17 is in theclosed position the engagement portion 21 a is engaged with the latchingpart 18 and when the lid 17 is opened the engagement with the latchingpart 18 is released, and due to the rod 21 spinning on its axis by 90degrees the engagement portion 21 a is switched between engagement withthe latching part 18 and release of the engagement.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a helical guide groove 54 is formed in an outerperiphery of the rod 21 that faces the end wall 23 e side of the casemain body 23, and a projection 55 projecting into the guide groove 54 isintegrally and projectingly provided on the end wall 23 e. The guidegroove 54 is formed so as to make the rod 21 spin on its axis by 90degrees while the rod 21 moves in the axial direction between thepushed-in position and the protruding position.

The electric motor 29 has a rotational axis parallel to the axis of therod 21, and is housed within the case 22 so as to be disposed toward theinner side of the case main body 23 beneath the rod 21 and the holder35. Integrally and projectingly provided on the case main body 23 is asubstantially L-shaped dividing wall 57 that forms, in cooperation withthe inner side wall 23 d and the lower side wall 23 b, a motor housingrecess part 56 housing the electric motor 29. Moreover, formed in thedividing wall 57 is a cutout part 58 that houses part of the pin 41fixed to the arm plate 42. Formed integrally with the inner side wall 23d is a connector portion 23 h, a pair of connection terminals 59connected to the electric motor 29 facing the interior of the connectorportion 23 h.

The restriction member 28 is housed within the case 22 so as to bedisposed beneath the rod 21 and holder 35 further outside in the vehiclewidth direction than the electric motor 29, and is housed in the case 22so as to operate in a direction orthogonal to the direction of forwardand backward movement of the rod 21, that is, in the vertical directionin the first embodiment, between a restriction position as shown in FIG.3 and FIG. 5 in which it engages with the rod 21 in the lid closedposition and restricts movement of the rod 21 and a restriction releaseposition as shown in FIG. 8 , FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 in which it releasesengagement with the rod 21, moves to the side away from the rod 21, andreleases restriction of the rod 21.

A latching recess part 61 facing the restriction member 28 side when rod21 is in the lid closed position is formed in the outer periphery of therod 21, and an engagement projection 62 that is fitted into and engagedwith the latching recess part 61 when the rod 21 is in the lid closedposition is projectingly provided on an end part, on the rod 21 side, ofthe restriction member 28. A stopper 63 is integrally and projectinglyprovided on the end part, on the rod 21 side, of the restriction member28, the stopper 63 determining the restriction position of therestriction member 28 by abutting against the support rib 31projectingly provided on the inner face of the end wall 23 e as shown inFIG. 5 when the restriction member 28 moves to the restriction positionin a state in which the rod 21 is in the lid closed position.

An output shaft 64 of the electric motor 29 has an axis parallel to theaxis of the rod 21, that is, orthogonal to the direction of operation ofthe restriction member 28, and rotatably extends through the dividingwall 57 and protrudes on the restriction member 28 side. On the otherhand, a rack 65 is provided on the restriction member 28 so as to extendalong the direction of movement thereof, and a pinion 66 provided on theoutput shaft 64 meshes with the rack 65. The restriction member 28 istherefore driven so as to operate between the restriction position andthe restriction release position by means of operation of the electricmotor 29.

The electric motor 29 operates only for a predetermined time (e.g. 0.6sec) in response to the vehicle door being switched between the lockedstate and the unlocked state by means of a keyless button operation of avehicle user or a smart entry system; the electric motor 29 drives therestriction member 28 to the restriction position when the door is inthe locked state, and the electric motor 29 drives the restrictionmember 28 to the restriction release position when the door is in theunlocked state.

In a state in which the rod 21 is in the protruding position, that is, astate in which the lid 17 is open, if a vehicle user erroneously putsthe door into a locked state, although the restriction member 28 in therestriction release position is driven to the restriction position sideby means of the electric motor 29, the restriction member 28 is unableto engage with the rod 21 in the protruding position; as shown in FIG.11 , the engagement projection 62 and the stopper 63 of the restrictionmember 28 abut against the holder 35 before attaining the restrictionposition, and movement of the restriction member 28 to the restrictionposition is thus prevented. Because of this, when operation of theelectric motor 29 is stopped, there is a possibility that therestriction member 28 will stop at a halfway position before attainingthe restriction position, but the restriction member 28 is returned tothe restriction release position by the action of a holding mechanism68.

The holding mechanism 68 resiliently holds at least the restrictionrelease position of the restriction member 28 and is formed from anabutment part 69 provided integrally with the cover 24 forming part ofthe case 22, and an elastic member 70 that is mounted on the restrictionmember 28 while abutting against the abutment part 69 so as to urge therestriction member 28 toward the restriction release position side whenthe restriction member 28 is at a position where it is partway throughmoving from the restriction release position toward the restrictionposition side.

A groove 71 is formed in the restriction member 28 over the entirelength along the direction of movement of the restriction member 28, thegroove 71 opening on the outer side wall 23 c side of the case main body23, and a support shaft 72 disposed within the groove 71 is integrallyand projectingly provided on the restriction member 28. The elasticmember 70 has a coil portion 70 a surrounding the support shaft 72 andfirst and second arm portions 70 b and 70 c extending from opposite endsof the coil portion 70 a.

The first arm portion 70 b of the elastic member 70 abuts against and issupported on the side wall 71 a, which is, among side walls 71 a and 71b on opposite sides of the groove 71, further from the cover 24. Anextremity part of the second arm portion 70 c abuts against and issupported, among the side walls 71 a and 71 b on opposite sides of thegroove 71, on the side wall 71 b on the cover 24 side, and an angledelastic part 73 curving so as to bulge on the cover 24 side is formed onan intermediate part of the second arm portion 70 c. A slit 74 havingthe elastic part 73 inserted therethrough is provided in the restrictionmember 28, the elastic part 73 protruding from the slit 74 toward thecover 24 side.

On the other hand, the abutment part 69 projectingly provided on thecover 24 always abuts against the elastic part 73; in a state in whichthe restriction member 28 is in the restriction release position, asshown in FIG. 10 the elastic part 73 abuts against the abutment part 69via a portion further toward the extremity part side of the second armportion 70 c than an angled apex portion 73 a, and the elastic part 73exhibits a resilient force urging the restriction member 28 toward therestriction release position side. In a state in which the restrictionmember 28 is in the restriction position, as shown in FIG. 5 the elasticpart 73 abuts against the abutment part 69 via a portion further towardthe side opposite to the extremity part of the second arm portion 70 cthan the angled apex portion 73 a, and the elastic part 73 exhibits aresilient force urging the restriction member 28 toward the restrictionposition side. When the restriction member 28 is as shown in FIG. 11 inan intermediate position between the restriction position and therestriction release position, without the abutment part 69 overridingthe apex portion 73 a of the elastic part 73 the elastic part 73 abutsagainst the abutment part 69 via a portion further on the extremity partside of the second arm portion 70 c than the apex portion 73 a, and theelastic part 73 exhibits a resilient force urging the restriction member28 toward the restriction release position side. When the restrictionmember 28 is driven toward the restriction position side by means of theelectric motor 29 and the restriction member 28 attains a halfwayposition before attaining the restriction position, the restrictionmember 28 is thereby returned to the restriction release position by theaction of the holding mechanism 68 accompanying operation of theelectric motor 29 being stopped.

When the electric motor 29 malfunctions, since the lid 17 cannot beopened unless the restriction member 28 restricting the rod 21 in a lidclosed state is returned to the restriction release position by a manualoperation, the lid opening and closing device 20 is provided with anemergency operation member 76 that is capable of moving the restrictionmember 28 to the restriction release position when the electric motor 29malfunctions.

In FIG. 12 , the emergency operation member 76 is capable of moving in adirection parallel to the direction of movement of the rod 21 along anouter face of the end wall 23 e of the case main body 23 of the case 22,and integrally has a flat plate-shaped operating member main portion 76a that is in sliding contact with the outer face of the end wall 23 e, arod-shaped portion 76 b that is connected integrally to the operationmain part and extends inward in the vehicle width direction in parallelwith the direction of movement of the rod 21, and an operating portion76 c that has a circular hole and is provided on an extremity part ofthe rod-shaped portion 76 b.

Integrally and projectingly provided on an outer face of the end wall 23e are an upper guide rib 77 that can come into sliding contact with anupper edge part of the operating member main portion 76 a, and a lowerguide rib 78 that can come to sliding contact with a lower edge part ofthe operating member main portion 76 a, the upper guide rib 77 and thelower guide rib 78 extending in parallel with the direction of forwardand backward movement of the rod 21 at positions spaced in the verticaldirection. Integrally and projectingly provided on the outer face of theend wall 23 e is a guide projecting part 80 having a guide hole 79 intowhich the rod-shaped portion 76 b is movably fitted.

Integrally and projectingly provided on the restriction member 28 is arod-shaped projection 82 that extends through a rectangular opening 81(see FIG. 4 ) provided in the end wall 23 e and protrudes upward, theopening 81 being formed lengthwise along the direction of movement ofthe restriction member 28 so as to allow movement of the projection 82when the restriction member 28 moves between the restriction releaseposition and the restriction position. Furthermore, a seal rubber 83having a rectangular pouch portion 83 a covering the projection 82 fromthe outside is fitted into the opening 81.

An operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism 84 is providedbetween the restriction member 28 and the emergency operation member 76.When the emergency operation member 76 is operated in a directionparallel to the direction of forward and backward movement of the rod 21so as to move the emergency operation member 76, the operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism 84 converts the operatingforce from the emergency operation member 76 into a force operating therestriction member 28 from the restriction position toward therestriction release position in a direction orthogonal to the directionof forward and backward movement of the rod 21.

This operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism 84 is formedfrom the projection 82 integrally and projectingly provided on therestriction member 28 and a cam part 85 that is formed on the emergencyoperation member 76 in an inclined manner so as to obliquely intersectthe direction of operation of the restriction member 28 and abutsagainst the projection 82. One side edge of a window 86 formed in theoperating member main portion 76 a so as to have the pouch portion 83 aof the seal rubber 83 inserted therethrough is inclined as the cam part85 so as to obliquely intersect the direction of operation of therestriction member 28.

The operating member main portion 76 a of the emergency operation member76 has provided therein a guide slot 87 extending lengthwise in thedirection of movement thereof. Projectingly provided on the outer faceof the end wall 23 e of the case main body 23 of the case 22 is a guideprojection 88 that projects into the guide slot 87 so as to guidemovement of the emergency operation member 76 and restrict the end ofmovement of the emergency operation member 76.

When the emergency operation member 76 is operated in the directionshown by an arrow 89 in FIG. 13 in a state in which the restrictionmember 28 is in the restriction position, the operating force from theemergency operation member 76 in a direction parallel to the directionof forward and backward movement of the rod 21 is converted, and a forcethat operates the restriction member 28 from the restriction position tothe restriction release position in a direction orthogonal to thedirection of forward and backward movement of the rod 21 acts on theprojection 82 of the restriction member 28 via the pouch portion 83 a ofthe seal rubber 83. In this arrangement, the pouch portion 83 a of theseal rubber 83 deforms and flexes as shown in FIG. 13 , and the reactionforce of the pouch portion 83 a makes the emergency operation member 76return to the original position.

The operation of the first embodiment is now explained; since the lidopening and closing device 20 includes the holding mechanism 68resiliently holding at least the restriction release position of therestriction member 28, even if the door is erroneously locked in a statein which the rod 21 is in the protruding position, due to therestriction release position of the restriction member 28 beingresiliently held by the holding mechanism 68, the restriction member 28will not stop at a halfway position before attaining the restrictionposition, and the restriction member 28 is held in the restrictionrelease position. It is therefore unnecessary to carry out an operationof returning the door from the locked state to the unlocked state, andcarrying out the locking operation after moving the rod 21 to the lidclosed position enables movement of the rod 21 to be smoothlyrestricted, thus enhancing the convenience.

Furthermore, since the holding mechanism 68 is formed from the abutmentpart 69 provided integrally with the cover 24 forming part of the case22, and the elastic member 70 mounted on the restriction member 28 whileabutting against the abutment part 69 so as to urge the restrictionmember 28 toward the restriction release position side when therestriction member 28 is at position where it is partway through movingfrom the restriction release position toward the restriction positionside, it is possible to form the holding mechanism 68 while avoiding anyincrease in the number of components.

Moreover, since the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism 84, which converts the operating force from the emergencyoperation member 76 in the direction parallel to the direction offorward and backward movement of the rod 21 into the force for operatingthe restriction member 28 from the restriction position toward therestriction release position is provided between the restriction member28 and the emergency operation member 76 of the lid opening and closingdevice 20, when the emergency operation member 76 is operated in thedirection parallel to the direction of forward and backward movement ofthe rod 21, the restriction member 28 is operated from the restrictionposition toward the restriction release position in the directionorthogonal to the direction of forward and backward movement of the rod21 by the action of the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism 84, and due to the direction of operation of the emergencyoperation member 76 being made parallel to the direction of forward andbackward movement of the rod 21 it is possible to enhance the ease ofassembly without widening the insertion hole 25 provided in the vehiclebody exterior plate 15.

Furthermore, since the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism 84 is formed from the projection 82, which is integrally andprojectingly provided on the restriction member 28, and the cam part 85,which is formed on the emergency operation member 76 in an inclinedmanner so as to obliquely intersect the operating direction of therestriction member 28 and abuts against the projection 82, it ispossible to form the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism 84 as a simple and small structure while avoiding any increasein the number of components by eliminating the necessity for the use ofa link mechanism, etc., thus enabling a small size to be achieved forthe lid opening and closing device 20.

Moreover, since the emergency operation member 76 is provided with theguide slot 87 extending lengthwise in the direction of movement thereof,and the guide projection 88 is projectingly provided on the case 22, theguide projection 88 projecting into the guide slot 87 so as to guidemovement of the emergency operation member 76 and restrict the end ofmovement of the emergency operation member 76, it is possible to guidemovement of the emergency operation member 76 and restrict the end ofmovement of the emergency operation member 76 with a simple arrangementin which the guide projection 88 projectingly provided on the case 22projects into the guide hole 87 provided in the emergency operationmember 76.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention is explained by referenceto FIG. 14 to FIG. 20 ; parts corresponding to those of the firstembodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 13 are denoted by the same referencenumerals and symbols and only illustrated, detailed explanation thereofbeing omitted.

First, in FIG. 14 , a base end part of a lid 17 that can open and closea recess part 16 formed in a vehicle body exterior plate 15 of a vehicleis pivotably supported on the vehicle body exterior plate 15, and a case92 of a lid opening and closing device 90 having a rod 21 havingprovided on its extremity part an engagement portion 21 a thatdetachably engages with a latching part 18 provided on the lid 17 ismounted on a bottom wall 16 a of the recess part 16.

Referring in addition to FIG. 15 , the case 92 is formed from a casemain body 93 formed into a rectangular box shape and a cover 24 joinedto the case main body 93 so as to close an open end of the case mainbody 93.

The case main body 93 integrally has an upper side wall 93 a and lowerside wall 93 b extending in the vehicle width direction with a gaptherebetween in the vertical direction, an outer side wall 93 cextending in the vertical direction while joining end parts on the outerside in the vehicle width direction of the upper and lower side walls 93a and 93 b, an inner side wall 93 d extending in the vertical directionwhile joining end parts on the inner side in the vehicle width directionof the upper and lower side walls 93 a and 93 b, and a flat plate-shapedend wall 93 e connectedly provided in common on end parts on one side inthe vehicle fore-and-aft direction of the upper side wall 93 a, thelower side wall 93 b, the outer side wall 93 c and the inner side wall93 d. The cover 24 is joined to the case main body 93 from the otherside in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction so as to oppose the end wall93 e.

Base end parts of elastic claws 27 are connectedly provided on the upperside wall 93 a and the lower side wall 93 b, the elastic claw 27 passingthrough a rectangular insertion hole 25 formed in the bottom wall 16 aof the recess part 16 due to it flexing when the case 92 is insertedinto the insertion hole 25 from the outside in the vehicle widthdirection, and extremity parts of the elastic claws 27 abut against aninner face of the bottom wall 16 a. A rectangular inner seal member 26is disposed between an outer face of the bottom wall 16 a at theperipheral edge of the insertion hole 25 and a collar portion 93 f ofthe case 92.

Referring in addition to FIG. 16 , the lid opening and closing device 90includes the rod 21, a restriction member 94 that is capable ofrestricting movement of the rod 21, and an electric motor 29 (see firstembodiment) that drives the restriction member 94, the restrictionmember 94 and the electric motor 29 being housed within the case 92.

Formed integrally with the inner side wall 93 d of the case main body 93is a connector portion 93 h, a pair of connection terminals 59 (seefirst embodiment) connected to the electric motor 29 facing the interiorof the connector portion 93 h.

The restriction member 94 is housed in the case 92 so as to be operatedin a direction orthogonal to the direction of forward and backwardmovement of the rod 21 between a restriction position at which itengages with the rod 21 in the lid closed position and restrictsmovement of the rod 21 and a restriction release position at which itreleases engagement with the rod 21, moves to the side away from the rod21, and releases restriction of the rod 21.

A latching recess part 95 facing the restriction member 94 side when therod 21 is in the lid closed position is formed in the outer periphery ofthe rod 21, and an engagement projection 96 that is fitted into andengaged with the latching recess part 95 when the rod 21 is in the lidclosed position is projectingly provided on an end part, on the rod 21side, of the restriction member 94. A stopper 98 is integrally andprojectingly provided on the end part, on the rod 21 side, of therestriction member 94, the stopper 98 determining the restrictionposition of the restriction member 94 by abutting against a restrictionstep part 97 formed on an inner face of the end wall 93 e when therestriction member 94 moves to the restriction position in a state inwhich the rod 21 is in the lid closed position.

An output shaft 64 of the electric motor 29 has an axis parallel to theaxis of the rod 21, that is, orthogonal to the direction of operation ofthe restriction member 94. A rack 99 is provided on the restrictionmember 94 so as to extend along the direction of movement thereof, and apinion 66 provided on the output shaft 64 meshes with the rack 99. Therestriction member 94 is therefore driven so as to operate between therestriction position and the restriction release position by means ofoperation of the electric motor 29.

When the electric motor 29 malfunctions, since the lid 17 cannot beopened unless the restriction member 94 is returned to the restrictionrelease position by a manual operation, the lid opening and closingdevice 90 is provided with an emergency operation member 100 that iscapable of moving the restriction member 94 to the restriction releaseposition when the electric motor 29 malfunctions.

The emergency operation member 100 can move along an outer face of theend wall 93 e in the case main body 93 of the case 92, and integrallyhas a linking portion 100 a having an elongated hole-shaped firstlinking hole 101, a rod-shaped portion 100 b integrally connected to thelinking portion 100 a, and an operating portion 100 c having a circularhole and being provided on an extremity part of the rod-shaped portion100 b. The rod-shaped portion 100 b is inclined so as to be positionedupward in going from the linking portion 100 a toward the inner side inthe vehicle width direction. A guide projecting part 111 having a guidehole 110 into which the rod-shaped portion 100 b is movably fitted isintegrally and projectingly provided on the outer face of the end wall93 e, and the emergency operation member 100 can move along thelongitudinal direction of the rod-shaped portion 100 b.

An operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism 103 is providedbetween the restriction member 94 and the emergency operation member100. When the emergency operation member 100 is operated in a directionparallel to the direction of forward and backward movement of the rod 21so as to move the emergency operation member 100, the operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism 103 converts the operatingforce from the emergency operation member 100 into a force operating therestriction member 94 from the restriction position toward therestriction release position in a direction orthogonal to the directionof forward and backward movement of the rod 21.

The operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism 103 is formedfrom a pressure-receiving projection 104 integrally and projectinglyprovided on the restriction member 94, a first link member 105 pivotingin response to operation of the emergency operation member 100, and asecond link member 106 that has its extremity part abutting against thepressure-receiving projection 104 from the restriction position side andthat pivots so as to press the restriction member 94 toward therestriction release position in response to pivoting of the first linkmember 105. The pressure-receiving projection 104 is integrally andprojectingly provided on the restriction member 94 so that its extremitypart closely opposes an inner face of the end wall 93 e.

Referring in addition to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 , the first link member 105is formed so as to integrally have a first link member main portion 105a disposed along the outer face of the end wall 93 e in the case mainbody 93 of the case 92, a pair of first resiliently engaging claws 105 bintegrally and projectingly provided, on the side opposite to the endwall 93 e, on one end part of the first link member main portion 105 aso as to pivotably and resiliently engage with the linking portion 100 awhen inserted into the first linking hole 101 of the emergency operationmember 100, and a linking tube portion 105 c provided integrally withthe other end part of the first link member main portion 105 a.

A second linking hole 107 having a rectangular cross section is formedin the linking tube portion 105 c, and a latching step portion 107 a isformed on each of mutually opposing side faces of an end part, on theside opposite to the end wall 93 e, of the second linking hole 107.

A cutout part 112 is formed in part of the outer periphery of the firstlink member main portion 105 a around the linking tube portion 105 c,the cutout part 112 having a pivoting restriction face 113 at one end inthe peripheral direction. On the other hand, a stopper 116 disposedwithin the cutout part 112 is projectingly provided on the end wall 93 eof the case main body 93, and a stopper face 114 that can abut againstthe pivoting restriction face 113 is formed on the stopper 116.

The second link member 106 is formed so as to integrally have a secondlink member main portion 106 a disposed along the inner face of the endwall 93 e in the case main body 93 of the case 92 while enabling itsextremity part to abut against the pressure-receiving projection 104from the restriction position side, a shaft portion 106 b integrally andconnectedly provided on a base end part of the second link member mainportion 106 a so as to be pivotably fitted into a support hole 108formed in the end wall 93 e, and a pair of second resiliently engagingclaws 106 c integrally and connectedly provided on the other end part ofthe shaft portion 106 b on the outside of the end wall 93 e. An annularseal member 109 that is in resilient contact with an inner face of thesupport hole 108 is fitted around the outer periphery of the shaftportion 106 b.

The second resiliently engaging claw 106 c is inserted into the secondlinking hole 107 of first link member 105 while being flexed, andresiliently engages with the latching step portion 107 a. This links thesecond link member 106 non-pivotably to the first link member 105.

A return spring 117 is disposed between the case main body 93 and thefirst link member 105. The return spring 117 is a torsion spring havinga coil portion 117 a; the coil portion 117 a is housed in an annularhousing groove 118 formed in the end wall 93 e so as to be coaxial withthe shaft portion 106 b of the second link member 106 and open on thefirst link member 105 side, one end portion 117 b of the return spring117 is engaged with a latching groove 119 formed in the stopper 116, andthe other end portion 117 c of the return spring 117 is inserted intoand engaged with a latching hole 120 formed in the first link membermain portion 105 a of the first link member 105.

In accordance with the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism 103 having the above arrangement, when the restriction member94 is in the restriction position and the emergency operation member 100is in a non-operated state, as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 19 the firstlink member 105 is put into a state in which the pivoting restrictionface 113 is made to abut against the stopper face 114 of the stopper 116by means of the spring force exhibited by the return spring 117 and isrestricted from pivoting, and an extremity part of the second linkmember main portion 106 a of the second link member 106 remainsstationary in a state in which it is close to the pressure-receivingprojection 104 of the restriction member 94 from the restrictionposition side.

When the restriction member 94 is moved from the restriction positiontoward the restriction release position side by operation of theelectric motor 29, the first link member 105 is, by virtue of the springforce of the return spring 117, put a state in which pivoting thereof isrestricted while the pivoting restriction face 113 remains abuttedagainst the stopper face 114 of the stopper 116, and the second linkmember 106 is also held stationary without pivoting by following thepressure-receiving projection 104.

When the emergency operation member 100 is pulled against the springforce of the return spring 117 in a state in which the restrictionmember 94 is at the restriction position, as shown in FIG. 20 the firstand second link members 105 and 106 pivot, the pressure-receivingprojection 104 is pressed by the extremity part of the second linkmember main portion 106 a, and the restriction member 94 moves to therestriction release position. In this arrangement, an end part, on theside opposite to the pivoting restriction face 113 in the peripheraldirection, of the cutout part 112 of the first link member 105 will notabut against the stopper 116, and pivoting of the first link member 105will not be restricted by the stopper 116.

In accordance with the second embodiment, since the operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism 103 is formed from thepressure-receiving projection 104 integrally and projectingly providedon the restriction member 94, the first link member 105 pivoting inresponse to operation of the emergency operation member 100, and thesecond link member 106 having its extremity part abutting against thepressure-receiving projection 104 from the restriction position side andpivoting so as to press the restriction member 94 toward the restrictionrelease position in response to pivoting of the first link member 105,the operating force-acting direction conversion mechanism 103 can beformed simply with a link mechanism having a minimum number ofcomponents.

Embodiments of the present invention are explained above, but thepresent invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may bemodified in a variety of ways as long as the modifications do not departfrom the subject matter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A lid opening and closing device for avehicle, comprising: a rod that can move forward and backward in a firstaxial direction along an axis thereof between a pushed-in position, inresponse to an openable and closable lid being pushed in, and aprotruding position when the lid is in an open state, the rod operableto attain a lid closed position at which the rod returns from thepushed-in position toward the protruding position side only by apredetermined amount of movement when the lid is in a closed state, therod being operable to rotate when the rod is moved between the pushed-inposition and the protruding position, a restriction member that iscapable of reciprocally moving in a direction orthogonal to the firstaxial direction, between a restriction position, at which movement ofthe rod at the lid closed position is restricted, and a restrictionrelease position at which the restriction is released, an electric motorthat drives the restriction member between the restriction position andthe restriction release position in response to a door switching betweena locked state and an unlocked state, a case that houses the restrictionmember and the electric motor, and an emergency operation member thatcan move the restriction member to the restriction release position whenthe electric motor malfunctions, wherein an operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism is provided between the emergencyoperation member and the restriction member, the operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism operable to convert an operating force,from the emergency operation member moving in a direction parallel tothe first axial direction, into a force that causes movement of therestriction member from the restriction position toward the restrictionrelease position, and wherein a guide projecting part having a guidehole therein is formed integrally on an outer surface of the case, theemergency operation member being movably fitted into the guide hole, andthe movement thereof guided by the guide hole.
 2. The lid opening andclosing device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operatingforce-acting direction conversion mechanism is formed from a projectionthat is integrally and projectingly provided on the restriction member,and a cam part that is formed on the emergency operation member in aninclined manner so as to obliquely intersect a direction of operation ofthe restriction member and that abuts against the projection.
 3. The lidopening and closing device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein aguide slot is provided in the emergency operation member so as to extendlengthwise in a direction of movement thereof, and a guide projection isprojectingly provided on the case, the guide projection guiding slidablemovement of the emergency operation member and projecting into the guideslot so as to restrict an end of movement of the emergency operationmember.
 4. The lid opening and closing device for a vehicle according toclaim 1, wherein a guide slot is provided in the emergency operationmember so as to extend lengthwise in a direction of movement thereof,and a guide projection is projectingly provided on the case, the guideprojection guiding slidable movement of the emergency operation memberand projecting into the guide slot so as to restrict an end of movementof the emergency operation member.
 5. The lid opening and closing devicefor a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism is formed from a pressure receivingprojection that is integrally and projectingly provided on therestriction member, a first link member that pivots in response tooperation of the emergency operation member, and a second link memberthat has an extremity part thereof abutting against thepressure-receiving projection from the restriction position side andpivots so as to press the restriction member toward the restrictionrelease position in response to pivoting of the first link member. 6.The lid opening and closing device for a vehicle according to claim 1,wherein the rod is operable to rotate about its axis by 90 degrees whenthe rod is moved between the pushed-in position and the protrudingposition.
 7. A lid opening and closing device for a vehicle, comprising:a rod that can move forward and backward in a first axial directionalong an axis thereof between a pushed-in position, in response to anopenable and closable lid being pushed in, and a protruding positionwhen the lid is in an open state, the rod operable to attains a lidclosed position at which the rod returns from the pushed-in positiontoward the protruding position side only by a predetermined amount ofmovement when the lid is in a closed state, the rod having a helicalguide groove formed in an outer periphery thereof, wherein the rod isoperable to rotate about its axis by 90 degrees when the rod is movedbetween the pushed-in position and the protruding position, arestriction member that is capable of reciprocally moving in a directionorthogonal to the first axial direction, between a restriction position,at which movement of the rod at the lid closed position is restricted,and a restriction release position at which the restriction is released,an electric motor that drives the restriction member between therestriction position and the restriction release position in response toa door switching between a locked state and an unlocked state, a casethat houses the restriction member and the electric motor, the casehaving a case projection which is integrally and projectingly providedon an inner wall thereof, the projection extending into the guide grooveof the rod, and an emergency operation member that can move therestriction member to the restriction release position when the electricmotor malfunctions, wherein an operating force-acting directionconversion mechanism is provided between the emergency operation memberand the restriction member, the operating force-acting directionconversion mechanism operable to convert an operating force, from theemergency operation member moving in a direction parallel to the firstaxial direction, into a force that causes operation from the restrictionposition toward the restriction release position.
 8. The lid opening andclosing device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein an inner endportion of the rod has a cylindrical spring housing recess formedtherein, a first end portion of a coil spring is housed in the springhousing recess, and a second end portion of the spring contacts a wallportion of the case, and when the restriction member is moved to therestriction release position, the spring causes the rod to moveoutwardly in relation to the case, whereby the engagement of the caseprojection in the helical guide groove causes the rod to rotate aboutits axis by 90 degrees during such outward movement thereof.
 9. The lidopening and closing device for vehicle according to claim 7, wherein theoperating force-acting direction conversion mechanism is formed from aprojection that is integrally and projectingly provided on therestriction member, and a cam part that is formed on the emergencyoperation member in an inclined manner so as to obliquely intersect adirection of operation of the restriction member and that abuts againstthe projection.
 10. The lid opening and closing device for a vehicleaccording to claim 9, wherein a guide slot is provided in the emergencyoperation member so as to extend lengthwise in a direction of movementthereof, and a guide projection is projectingly provided on the case,the guide projection guiding slidable movement of the emergencyoperation member and projecting into the guide slot so as to restrict anend of movement of the emergency operation member.
 11. The lid openingand closing device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein a guideslot is provided in the emergency operation member so as to extendlengthwise in a direction of movement thereof, and a guide projection isprojectingly provided on the case, the guide projection guiding slidablemovement of the emergency operation member and projecting into the guideslot so as to restrict an end of movement of the emergency operationmember.
 12. The lid opening and closing device for a vehicle accordingto claim 7, wherein the operating force-acting direction conversionmechanism is formed from a pressure receiving projection that isintegrally and projectingly provided on the restriction member, a firstlink member that pivots in response to operation of the emergencyoperation member, and a second link member that has an extremity partthereof abutting against the pressure-receiving projection from therestriction position side and pivots so as to press the restrictionmember toward the restriction release position in response to pivotingof the first link member.
 13. The lid opening and closing device for avehicle according to claim 7, wherein an outer end portion of the rod isformed as a substantially T-shaped engagement portion, and wherein whenthe rod spins on its axis by 90 degrees, the engagement portion isswitched between an engagement orientation and a release orientationthereof.
 14. A lid opening and closing device for a vehicle, comprising:a rod that can move forward and backward in a first axial directionalong an axis thereof between a pushed-in position, in response to anopenable and closable lid being pushed in, and a protruding positionwhen the lid is in an open state, the rod operable to attain a lidclosed position at which the rod returns from the pushed-in positiontoward the protruding position side only by a predetermined amount ofmovement when the lid is in a closed state, a restriction member that iscapable of reciprocally moving in a direction orthogonal to the firstaxial direction, between a restriction position, at which movement ofthe rod at the lid closed position is restricted, and a restrictionrelease position at which the restriction is released, an electric motorthat drives the restriction member between the restriction position andthe restriction release position in response to a door switching betweena locked state and an unlocked state, a case that houses the restrictionmember and the electric motor, and an emergency operation member thatcan move the restriction member to the restriction release position whenthe electric motor malfunctions, wherein: an operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism is provided between the emergencyoperation member and the restriction member, the operating force-actingdirection conversion mechanism operable to convert an operating force,from the emergency operation member moving in a direction parallel tothe first axial direction, into a force that causes movement of therestriction member from the restriction position toward the restrictionrelease position, a guide projecting part having a guide hole therein isformed integrally on an outer surface of the case, the emergencyoperation member being movably fitted into the guide hole, and themovement thereof guided by the guide hole, and an outer end portion ofthe rod is formed as a substantially T-shaped engagement portion.